Students cracked up at Carell’s tongue-in-cheek address, during which he reminded them of the “good old days” before modern technology.

“Have we forgotten the beauty of a handwritten letter, lovingly delivered three to six weeks later? Do we no longer need the encyclopedia — almost 300 pounds of readily accessible knowledge?” Carell asked.

He also shared the results of his early-morning Google search.

“I found lies, conjecture, half-truths … so hurtful, in fact, that I had to take the painful, but necessary, step of un-friending my 86-year-old mother,” Carell said.

Carell urged students to embrace their “analog past,” telling them he purchased a 150-year-old general store a few years ago — and not entirely to save a historical landmark.

“I bought this quaint little anachronism because I wanted people to think I was a really nice guy,” Carell said. “And that’s what we need more of these days: ‘Perceived heroes.’”

He referred to a senior who may be considered a hero — Doug Davis, Princeton’s No. 2 all-time basketball scorer.

“Does Doug Davis strive for excellence selflessly? Or, does he do great things for the recognition, the accolades and the reverence, like a normal human being?” Carell asked.“I can’t answer that, because I don’t know Doug Davis. Doug Davis doesn’t even sound like a real name.”

Carell generally steered clear of clichés during his 15-minute address, but he did end with a few sincere “random thoughts” in lieu of advice.

“Remember that the words ‘regime’ and ‘regimen’ are not interchangeable. When you eat out, tip on the entire check — don’t subtract the tax first,” Carell said. “And don’t take yourself too seriously.”

Several students also spoke during Class Day, which honors the achievements of graduates and honorary class members.

One student ribbed Carell about his decision to leave the highly rated “The Office” television series.

Senior Spencer Gaffney said that after high school, he decided it was time for a change, “but instead of leaving the best show on television to make ‘Dinner for Schmucks,’ I went to Princeton.”

That remark prompted the comedian to stand, confronting Gaffney in mock fury.

Class Day is a Princeton tradition of more than 150 years. Entirely run by students, the ceremony has featured famous speakers since 2001.

Students cracked up at Carell’s tongue-in-cheek address, during which he reminded them of the “good old days” before modern technology.

“Have we forgotten the beauty of a handwritten letter, lovingly delivered three to six weeks later? Do we no longer need the encyclopedia — almost 300 pounds of readily accessible knowledge?” Carell asked.

He also shared the results of his early-morning Google search.

“I found lies, conjecture, half-truths … so hurtful, in fact, that I had to take the painful, but necessary, step of un-friending my 86-year-old mother,” Carell said.

Carell urged students to embrace their “analog past,” telling them he purchased a 150-year-old general store a few years ago — and not entirely to save a historical landmark.

“I bought this quaint little anachronism because I wanted people to think I was a really nice guy,” Carell said. “And that’s what we need more of these days: ‘Perceived heroes.’”

He referred to a senior who may be considered a hero — Doug Davis, Princeton’s No. 2 all-time basketball scorer.

“Does Doug Davis strive for excellence selflessly? Or, does he do great things for the recognition, the accolades and the reverence, like a normal human being?” Carell asked.“I can’t answer that, because I don’t know Doug Davis. Doug Davis doesn’t even sound like a real name.”

Carell generally steered clear of clichés during his 15-minute address, but he did end with a few sincere “random thoughts” in lieu of advice.

“Remember that the words ‘regime’ and ‘regimen’ are not interchangeable. When you eat out, tip on the entire check — don’t subtract the tax first,” Carell said. “And don’t take yourself too seriously.”

Several students also spoke during Class Day, which honors the achievements of graduates and honorary class members.

One student ribbed Carell about his decision to leave the highly rated “The Office” television series.

Senior Spencer Gaffney said that after high school, he decided it was time for a change, “but instead of leaving the best show on television to make ‘Dinner for Schmucks,’ I went to Princeton.”

That remark prompted the comedian to stand, confronting Gaffney in mock fury.

Class Day is a Princeton tradition of more than 150 years. Entirely run by students, the ceremony has featured famous speakers since 2001.

Hyperthymesia, also known as piking[1] or hyperthymestic syndrome is a condition in which the individual possesses a superior autobiographical memory, meaning they can recall the vast majority of personal experiences and events in their lives. The term “hyperthymesia" is derived from the Greek words thymesis, meaning "remembering" and hyper meaning “excessive”.

As first described in a 2006 Neurocase article by Elizabeth Parker, Larry Cahill, Dr. Paul Tejera, and James McGaugh, the two defining characteristics of hyperthymesia are "1) the person spends an abnormally large amount of time thinking about his or her personal past, and 2) the person has an extraordinary capacity to recall specific events from his or her personal past".

Cases

Twenty cases of hyperthymesia have been confirmed thus far, the most famous of these being AJ (who later revealed her identity as Jill Price). Her case was originally reported by researchers from the University of California, Irvine, Elizabeth Parker, Larry Cahill and James McGaugh, and is credited as being the first case of hyperthymesia. AJ can apparently recall every day of her life from when she was 14 years old: "Starting on February 5th, 1980, I remember everything. That was a Tuesday.

As the condition becomes better known, more and more people who claim to have hyperthymestic abilities are coming forward. In the aftermath of the 2006 Neurocase publication alone, more than 200 people contacted McGaugh; however only a handful of cases were determined to be actual cases of hyperthymesia. The second verified case was Brad Williams, the third was Rick Baron, and in 2009 Bob Petrella became the fourth person diagnosed with hyperthymestic syndrome. Unusually, all three men are left-handed.

On December 19, 2010, actress Marilu Henner was featured on 60 Minutes for her superior autobiographical memory ability. Henner claimed she can remember almost every day of her life since she was 11 years old. The show was initially pitched as a story featuring hyperthymestic violinist Louise Owen, but the reporter Lesley Stahl volunteered her friend Marilu Henner as having a similar ability.Diagnosis

Parker and colleagues used a variety of standardised neuropsychological tests in their diagnosis of AJ’s hyperthymesia. These included tests of memory, lateralisation, executive functions, language, calculations, IQ, visual-spatial and visual-motor functions. They also devised novel tests to examine the extent of her memory abilities. These mostly consisted of questions pertaining to specific dates and events in history. Some of her personal recollections were verified with diary entries as well as by her mother.Difficulties

Hyperthymestic abilities can have a detrimental effect on cognitive capacity. The constant, irrepressible stream of memories has caused significant disruption to AJ’s life. She described her recollection as "non-stop, uncontrollable and totally exhausting" and as "a burden".[2] Like all hyperthymestics, AJ is prone to getting lost in remembering. This can make it difficult to attend to the present or future as she is permanently living in the past.

Surprisingly, AJ displays considerable difficulty in memorising allocentric information. "Her autobiographical memory, while incredible, is also selective and even ordinary in some respects," – McGaugh. This was demonstrated by AJ's poor performance on standardised memory tests. At school, AJ was an average student, clearly unable to apply her exceptional memory to her studies. Similar patterns have been observed in other cases of hyperthymesia.

Deficits in executive functioning and anomalous lateralisation were also identified in AJ. These cognitive deficiencies are characteristic of frontostriatal disorders.

After a more than a year and a half of political turmoil, Wisconsinites have their chance today to vote in a historic recall election. By the end of the day, the state should know if Governor Scott Walker will be allowed to finish his term in office, or if Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett will replace him.

It started in February of last year, when Governor Walker introduced a budget adjustment bill that included rolling back collective bargaining for most public employees. Walker argued the change was needed to help government deal with a growing state budget deficit and to give local governments the tools they need to cut costs without having to make massive layoffs. Opponents argued it was nothing more than a power grab and an attack on Walker’s political enemies.

The divisive proposal sparked an overwhelming response from unions and their supporters, as thousands of people flooded Madison and the Capitol building with nearly a month of non-stop protests. Senate Democrats left the state to prevent passage of the bill, while Republicans eventually used a procedural move to push through a vote on just the collective bargaining changes.

The controversy spilled over into a Supreme Court race and resulted in nine state senators facing recalls last summer. Of those, two Republican lawmakers lost their seats.

Walker faces a rematch with Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, whom he beat in 2010 by 5 percentage points, as he tries to become the first U.S. governor to successfully fend off a recall.

"I've been villainized for a year and a half. We've faced a year and a half of assaults on us. My opponent has no plans other than to attack us," Walker said at a campaign stop Monday, claiming that his agenda has put the state on the right economic track.

Responded Barrett, "Gov. Walker has divided the state, but we will never allow him to conquer the middle class. This started out as a grassroots movement and it's going to end as one."

Walker and his wife, Tonette, were among those waiting in line to vote in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa as polls opened at 7 a.m. His Democratic challenger Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett cast his vote at the Milwaukee French Immersion school.

State elections officials have predicted that 60 percent to 65 percent of eligible voters will turn out. Government Accountability Board statistics show that 49.7 percent turned out for the 2010 Walker-Barrett race.

William Van Wagner, a 21-year-old student in Madison, waited in a line of about 30 people to cast his ballot for Walker.

"It's pretty clear that his policies have worked for us," Van Wagner said.

John Ipsen, 63, a mechanical engineer from Madison, said he opposed everything that Walker has done and that the rare recall — never before used against a Wisconsin governor — was clearly necessary.

"It's obviously not done very often so there's a good reason for it," Ipsen said after casting his vote for Barrett, whom he also supported in 2010.

The recall effort against Walker began bubbling last year, shortly after the former Milwaukee County executive successfully pushed through his union rights proposal, which also requires most state workers to pay more for their health insurance and pension benefits.

Walker said that's what was needed to balance the state's budget. But Democrats and labor leaders saw it as a political tactic designed to gut the power of his political opposition. They rallied by the tens of thousands at the state Capitol in protest, but could not stop Republicans who control the state legislature from approving Walker's plans.

It didn't take long for opponents to begin calling for a recall.

The recall petition drive couldn't officially start until November, months after Walker's triumph at the legislature, because Wisconsin law requires that someone must be in office for at least a year before facing a recall. Organizers hit the streets a week before Thanksgiving and spent two months gathering more than 900,000 signatures — about 360,000 more than were needed to trigger the election. Barrett was chosen as Walker's opponent in a primary last month.

Now, Walker stands in unique company: He is only the third governor in U.S. history to face a recall vote. The other two lost, most recently California Gov. Gray Davis in 2003.

VIVUS is a biopharmaceutical company developing therapies to address obesity, sleep apnea, diabetes and male sexual health. The company's lead investigational drug candidate in clinical development, Qnexa, has completed Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of obesity and is currently being considered for approval by U.S. and EU regulators. VIVUS received a Complete Response Letter, or CRL, to the initial Qnexa NDA on October 28, 2010. In October 2011, VIVUS resubmitted the Qnexa NDA, which has an FDA action date of July 17, 2012. Qnexa is also in Phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. For more information about the company, please visit www.Vivus.com .

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "forecast," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "likely," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "opportunity" and "should," among others. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the response from the United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to our resubmission of the New Drug Application, or NDA, for Qnexa for the treatment of obesity, including weight loss and maintenance of weight loss, recommended for obese patients (BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2), or overweight patients (BMI greater than or equal to 27 kg/m2) with weight-related co-morbidities such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes or dyslipidemia, with a contraindication that excludes the use of Qnexa by women who are pregnant; the timing and final results of the retrospective observational study of fetal outcomes in infants born to mothers exposed to topiramate during pregnancy, or FORTRESS; the reliability of the electronic medical claims healthcare databases used in FORTRESS; the FDA's interpretation of and agreement with the information VIVUS submitted relating to teratogenicity and cardiovascular safety; that we may be required to provide further analysis of clinical trial data; our response to questions and requests for additional information including additional pre-clinical or clinical studies from the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, and the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, of the Marketing Authorization Application, or MAA, for Qnexa; the FDA's interpretation of the results of external studies to assess the teratogenic risk of topiramate; the impact of the results of the REMS or cardiovascular outcomes for obesity advisory committee meetings; whether or not the FDA chooses to follow the recommendation of the second advisory committee in its vote in favor of approval of Qnexa; the impact, if any, of the agreement and initiation by one of our competitors with an obesity compound to conduct or complete a cardiovascular outcomes study pre-approval; the impact on future sales based on specific indication and contraindications contained in the label and extent of the REMS and distribution system and patient access program for Qnexa, if approved; our ability to successfully commercialize or establish a marketing partnership for avanafil, which will be marketed in the U.S. under the name Stendra, or our partner's ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval to manufacture and adequately supply avanafil for commercial use; our history of losses and variable quarterly results; substantial competition; risks related to the failure to protect our intellectual property and litigation in which we may become involved; uncertainties of government or third party payer reimbursement; our reliance on sole source suppliers; our limited sales and marketing and manufacturing capabilities; our reliance on third parties and our collaborative partners; failure to continue to develop innovative investigational drug candidates and drugs; risks related to the failure to obtain FDA or foreign authority clearances or approvals and noncompliance with FDA or foreign authority regulations; our ability to demonstrate through clinical testing the safety and effectiveness of our investigational drug candidates; the timing of initiation and completion of clinical trials and submissions to the FDA or foreign authorities; the volatility and liquidity of the financial markets; our liquidity and capital resources; our ability to successfully create a commercial infrastructure in the U.S. to launch Qnexa; and our expected future revenues, operations and expenditures. As with any pharmaceutical in development, there are significant risks in the development, the regulatory approval, and commercialization of new products. There are no guarantees that our response to the FDA's CRL or CHMP's 180-day list of outstanding issues, the FDA's requests stemming from the end-of-review meeting or the results of the FORTRESS study and subsequent meetings and communications will be sufficient to satisfy the FDA or CHMP's safety concerns, that the FDA or foreign authorities will not require us to conduct any additional prospective studies or retrospective observational studies, or that any product will receive regulatory approval for any indication or prove to be commercially successful. VIVUS does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Investors should read the risk factors set forth in VIVUS' Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2011, and periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Qnexa [kyoo-nek-suh] is an investigational drug candidate being developed to address weight loss, type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. Qnexa is a once-a-day, proprietary, oral, controlled-release formulation of low-dose phentermine and topiramate, which is designed to decrease appetite and increase satiety (the sense of feeling full), the two main mechanisms that impact eating behavior. In Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical data to date, patients taking Qnexa have demonstrated statistically significant weight loss, better glycemic control, and improvement in cardiovascular risk factors when they used the drug in combination with a diet and lifestyle modification program.

On February 22, 2012, the United States Food and Drug Administration Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee recommended, in a 20-to-2 vote, that Qnexa be granted marketing approval for the treatment of obesity in adults. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act target date for Qnexa is July 17, 2012.

VIVUS, Inc. VVUS -2.49% today announced that the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has rescheduled the decision process on the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for Qnexa, an investigational drug for the treatment of obesity. In April, VIVUS submitted its response to the Day 180 List of Outstanding Issues from the CHMP, and was invited by the CHMP to participate in an oral hearing in order to provide additional explanations of the Day 180 response. An oral hearing is a customary part of the EMA approval process. VIVUS requested additional time to prepare for the oral hearing, and the CHMP has agreed to schedule the hearing in September 2012. The CHMP opinion on the Qnexa MAA is now expected following the September meeting.

"We appreciate the flexibility of the CHMP to work with us on the timing of the oral hearing and the scheduling in September," said Peter Tam, president of VIVUS. "We look forward to presenting to the CHMP in September, but are currently focused on working with the FDA ahead of the July 17, 2012 PDUFA and the potential Qnexa launch in the U.S. in the second half of this year."

We first showed you the exclusive images of K.Stew's glammed-out Vanity Fair photo shoot back in January—and now the July issue is finally on sale this week.

Of course, we already swooned over the pics where Kristen rocked some seriously chic designer couture in high-fashion shots by Mario Testino, but it's the interview inside the issue that has us loving Kris even more (seriously, how is that even possible?!).

Check it out (even if you're complaining about K.Stew overload) we promise this is one you don't want to miss:

Stewart is an intriguing example of this cinematic Rorschach test. Since she played the enigmatic free spirit in "Into the Wild," and especially in little-seen (and really good) pictures like "Adventureland" and "The Runaways," Stewart has been more of a concealer than a revealer. It's a different story in the forthcoming "On the Road," which premiered in competition last month at the Cannes Film Festival. Stewart's uninhibited turn as Marylou seemed to me truer, less studied and pose-y, than the work of her male counterparts. Certainly Stewart tends to become more alive and alert outside the "Twilight" universe, although her performance in the first "Twilight" was the thing, I think, that made that franchise go. She's honest. She doesn't force anything.

An odd but worthwhile fantasy in many ways, "Snow White and the Huntsman" represents a stretch for Stewart: a period film, with an English accent, for starters. The excellent Slate film critic Dana Stevens takes issue with "Stewart's whole manner, her slouchy bearing and general aura of sulky passivity, (which) make her ill-suited to play a deposed princess whose irresistible charisma enables her to lead a peasant revolt ... the image of her leading a castle siege in full battle armor is so incongruous it might come from one of those parody trailers that opened Ben Stiller's 'Tropic Thunder.'"

So be it; Stevens feels about Stewart the way I do about Stewart's "Twilight" co-star Taylor Lautner, who strikes me as a strange quirk of celebrity fate more than an actor, and certainly more than a star. Stewart's range is not wide. But you know what? People made the sameness charge against Jesse Eisenberg, her "Adventureland" co-star. (I love that movie.) And then came "The Social Network," which allowed Eisenberg to rise to the occasion of meeting a trickier, more ambiguous character than he'd met on screen before. And a lot of people realized he was on the right path all along.

Jonathan "John" Tortorella, born June 24, 1958 is an American ice hockey coach for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Tortorella was previously the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning and he led the team to the 2004 Stanley Cup championship. Tortorella became head coach of the Lightning on January 6, 2001 and stayed on until his firing on June 3, 2008 after six and a half seasons, having compiled a 239–222–36–38 record. The firing took place four years after the team's Stanley Cup victory.

Tortorella has been credited by East Coast Hockey League founders Henry Brabham and Bill Coffey with coming up with the name for the league during a league meeting at a Ramada Inn in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. At the time Tortorella was the head coach of Brabham's Virginia Lancers, but left the Lancers to become the assistant coach of the American Hockey League's New Haven Nighthawks before the ECHL's inaugural season in 1988.

Coaching career

Tortorella's coaching career began with the American Hockey League (AHL)'s Rochester Americans and the ECHL's Virginia Lancers. He was also an assistant coach for the AHL's New Haven Nighthawks and Rochester Americans, and the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, Phoenix Coyotes and New York Rangers. He won the Calder Cup with the 1996 Rochester Americans.

Tortorella is known for his outspoken nature—which has included criticizing his own players—and for his unusual system of regularly rotating goaltending duties during his time in Tampa Bay; a system which was discontinued when he became head coach of the New York Rangers and could use Henrik Lundqvist as the regular starting goalie.Tampa Bay Lightning

Tortorella took over the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2000–01 as a mid-season replacement. The team won only 28% (12 of 43) of its games to end the season, finishing last in the division. The following season, the team finished third in the division but had a losing record and did not qualify for the playoffs. The 2002–03 season marked Tortorella's first winning season as an NHL head coach, as the Lightning won the Southeast Division, losing to the New Jersey Devils four games to one in the second round of the 2003 playoffs. At the end of the season he was also recognized as a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year, losing out to Minnesota's Jacques Lemaire.

In 2003–04, Tortorella's fourth season with the team, the Lightning won their second consecutive Southeastern Division title. The Lightning were the top seed in the Eastern Conference and proceeded to defeat the New York Islanders, the Montreal Canadiens, and the Philadelphia Flyers to win the Prince of Wales Trophy and the Eastern Conference Championship. In the Stanley Cup Finals, they defeated the Western Conference champion Calgary Flames four games to three, winning the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. In doing so Tortorella became just the third American-born coach to win it and the first in 13 years. The team was in its eleventh year of existence. It was the last Stanley Cup won before the 2004–05 NHL lockout. A few days after winning the Stanley Cup, Tortorella would go on to win the 2004 Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.

Before the start of the 2005–06 season – the NHL's first post-lockout campaign – Tampa Bay's starting goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin left the team due to the newly implemented salary cap restrictions. Tortorella was hard on Lightning goaltender John Grahame for much of the 2005–06. Grahame subsequently signed with the Carolina Hurricanes before the start of the 2006–07 season. Despite the Lightning winning a 2nd-team best 44 games in 2006–07, the Lightning did not win the Southeast Division.

New York Rangers

Tortorella was named head coach of the New York Rangers on February 23, 2009, replacing Tom Renney, who was fired earlier that day.[4] On March 17, he again became the American-born coach with the most wins in NHL history, this time surpassing Laviolette.

Tortorella was suspended 1 game by the NHL for an altercation with several Capitals fans behind the bench in the third period of Game 5 in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Replays show the fan clearly heckling Tortorella through verbal jeering, before Tortorella responded by throwing a water bottle at a fan before grabbing a stick from Aaron Voros and trying to spear the fan through a space between 2 panes of glass. He did not receive a penalty on the play despite the fact that NHL rules state any physical altercations with fans result in ejection from a game; however, the next day the NHL suspended him.

When Laviolette became coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2009, the rivalry between the two teams became further heated with Tortorella and Laviolette being the American-born coaches with the most wins in NHL history.United States national men's hockey team

Tortorella was also the assistant coach of the U.S. National Men's hockey team in 2008-2009 replacing Peter Laviolette, which included leading the squad at the 2008 IIHF World Championship, where they finished sixth.

With the Stanley Cup Finals in full swing (not for long), it's easy to see how much passion the Devils and Kings are putting into every moment of every game. In many cases, passion drives success but can also lead to emotional outbursts.

John Tortorella has had an outburst or two over the years but his tirade days may be over if he continues to keep it in the room.

On WFAN last week, Mike Francesa asked about the press conferences, and Tortorella explained that he's done some "stupid things" during them. He also said media critics of the Rangers' style are "idiots."

Tortorella expanded on that with Bob Costas on NBCSN's "Costas Tonight" on Monday, talking about the pressers, the hockey media and the method to his madness.

Some small last-minute adjustments marked the absence of the Duke of Edinburgh from the Queen's side during the final day of the diamond jubilee celebrations.

At a service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral, the monarch cut a rather solitary figure as she processed alone behind the lord mayor of London who, in accordance with tradition, carried the pearl sword symbolic of the sovereign's authority.

The red velvet cushioned seat, which Prince Philip has sat in for so many services during his wife's long reign, was occupied instead by the Prince of Wales. His seat in the royal car, which bore the Queen to the morning service, was taken by her lady-in-waiting, Diana Marion, the Lady Farnham.

The only reference in the cathedral to his sudden indisposition, as he underwent treatment for a bladder infection at King Edward VII hospital in central London, was a hasty addendum to the sermon delivered by the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.

To the congregation, which included the prime minister, David Cameron, Williams praised the Queen's dedication. "She has made her public happy and all the signs are that she is herself happy, fulfilled and at home at these encounters," he said.

"The same, of course, can manifestly be said of Prince Philip, and our prayers and thoughts are very much with him this morning."

The duke was admitted to hospital just hours ahead of the BBC jubilee concert on Monday night, and the day after taking part in the river pageant.

In his thanksgiving sermon, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said Queen Elizabeth had shown "a quality of joy in the happiness of others" during her 60 years on the throne.

The royal family will wrap up the Diamond Jubilee celebration with a balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace, followed by a rare television speech to the nation.

Queen Elizabeth lit a symbolic torch Monday night during a moving ceremony in which Prince Charles paid a personal tribute to his mother, and led the crowd in cheers to her and his ailing father.

The crowd sang the British anthem "God Save the Queen" before Elizabeth lit the beacon and fireworks exploded over Buckingham Palace.

The London beacon was the last of 4,200 torches and bonfires lit all day Monday across Britain and the Commonwealth, starting with New Zealand and Tonga.

Elizabeth succeeded her father, King George, after his death in 1952 and was coronated the following year.

She was crowned queen of seven Commonwealth countries -- the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka.

Along with Britain, the monarch is the head of state of 16 other nations, known as realms. Her role is purely ceremonial. She is also head of the Commonwealth, an organization that rose from the British empire. Most of its 53 member countries are former colonies.